17yo Party ideas

[Corse]

My ds turns 17 soon. His last few parties have been easy as he had a small sensible group of friends. They would come over, eat pizza and cake, mess about together and sleep over.
This year he has started at a new school with 70 in his year. There was a party recently where everyone was invited and they basically drank and listened to music. We don’t have a house big enough for this even if I wanted to do it.
So I’m looking for ideas of something to do that won’t cost too much per head as I don’t want to have to cut numbers too much.
So hit me with your party wins for the older teen years.

Does he want a party at 17?

I can’t imagine anything other than a house party for a 17th?

I had one in the garden at that age. My dad found so many condoms afterwards it was embarrassing but at the time we had fun. Just music and chilling.

How soon is soon? My 17 year olds love all the over 16 type Halloween activities that are happening around now. Too scary to be babyish and they have a good laugh. Something like Horror Nights at Thorpe park.

That’s the right kind of thing except it’s £30 a head so couldn’t invite many 😒

Depends what is near you. Our youngest had a tubing party at a dry ski slope followed by a trip to MacDonald’s

Haha I think the 17 year old may combust with embarrassment at his new friends. Being invited to this party.

How big is your garden? Or do you live anywhere near a spare bit of land that nobody is using that you’d be able to bung the landowner a few quid to put a gazebo up overnight? Like one of those dog walking fields (where the owners clear up after their dogs). A gazebo could potentially be quite reasonable, along with a generator for music, and you could tell them to bring sleeping bags if they wanted to stay over.

Or a house party that spills out into the garden with a smaller gazebo? Or a village hall? I’m pretty sure that teenagers aren’t going to care that a village hall isn’t that cool; they just want a space that’s warm and dry, with as few adults as possible, where they can listen to music, get drunk and cop off with whoever they fancy. And if that comes with junk food, then great.

Are birthday parties still much of a thing for 17 year olds? I can understand 18. I’m not sure what you could do other than a house party and I def wouldn’t want to do that because I could not be arsed with a load of drunk under 18s at my house!

I did wonder about the village hall option but if I ran one I’m not sure I would hire it for older teens birthdays.
I also don’t fancy clearing up vomit but I guess that is a risk with any get together at this age.
We do have a bit of land we could use but no electricity there so probably wouldn’t work.

I have a 17 year old. It’s either parties at peoples houses or going out for a meal/ drinks with a few mates. I’ve never known parents to organise a party as such at this age

Paintball party

Have you actually asked him what he wants to do? My DS is 18 now but didn't have and didn't go to any parties for 17 year olds. They either just went out round town to places they knew they would probably get in, hung out in someone's Dad's man cave at the the bottom of the garden or went out for meals etc with their girlfriends.